Rev. Curtis V. Oakley

Rev. Curtis V. Oakley, 98, passed away at Hospice Home on April 27, 2019.
   A native of Alamance County, Rev. Oakley was the son of the late Andrew David and Ida Squires Oakley, and the beloved husband of Elizabeth Record Oakley for 72 years prior to her death in 2014.
   As a young child, Rev. Oakley moved with his family to High Point, NC, and lived there through his junior year of high school. He returned to Burlington and graduated from Broad Street High School. His first public employment was at May Hosiery Mill, followed by 14 years at Western Electric Co. in Burlington.
   At age 27, Rev. Oakley became a Christian, and at age 34, accepted the call to the ministry. For a number of years, he served in evangelistic work, traveling with Elizabeth and their children, a singing group known as The Oakley Family.
   While still employed at Western Electric Co., Rev. Oakley became a bi-vocational pastor at Hico Baptist Church in Graham, NC, and attended Piedmont Bible School (now Piedmont International University) in Winston-Salem, NC. He received a certificate for completion of his study in the evening school division in 1956, and was ordained into the ministry in July, 1957, by Deep Creek Baptist Church of Burlington.
   In 1962, Rev. Oakley accepted a call as full-time pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Graham, and remained there until his retirement on Dec. 31, 1989, at which time he was named Pastor Emeritus. From 1990 until May, 2017, Rev. Oakley served in 17 interim pastorates in Alamance, Rockingham, Orange, and Person counties. He was past president of the Graham Ministerial Association and the Pastors Conference of Mt. Zion Baptist Association; past moderator of Mt. Zion Baptist Association; and a member of the board of directors of the Kenneth Cates Missionary Committee and Covenant International Evangelistic Association. He also served as a chaplain at Alamance Regional Medical Center.
   In total, Rev. Oakley’s ministry as an evangelist, pastor, and teacher spanned 64 years.
   In addition to his parents and wife Elizabeth, Rev. Oakley was predeceased by his father-in-law, Ralph Record; five brothers and their spouses; three sisters and their spouses; a sister who died at birth; precious daughter-in-law Linda Faye Oakley; and several nieces and nephews.
   He is survived by sons Geoffrey and Keith (Lynn) of Burlington; daughter Linda (Don) Patterson of Greensboro; grandchildren Shelly (Joey) Belton, Shannon (Tracy) Oakley, and Heather (Bobby) Boysel, all of Burlington; great-grandchildren Cody and Jackson Belton, Dylan and Macie Oakley, and Dawson Boysel, all of Burlington. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews and their extended families; a sister-in-law, Lillie Wallace of Graham; Elizabeth’s nieces, and their extended families; and surviving son and extended family of Elizabeth’s deceased nephew.
   A celebration of Rev. Oakley’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, at Riverside Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Graham Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at Rich & Thompson Funeral Home in Graham on Tuesday, April 30, from 10:45 a.m. until 1:45 p.m., and again from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and in the Fellowship Hall of Riverside Baptist Church immediately following the burial on Wednesday.
   In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Riverside Baptist Church, 1568 E. Harden St., Graham, NC 27253; the Curtis V. and Elizabeth R. Oakley Endowment Fund at Baptist Children’s Home of NC, P.O. Box 338, Thomasville, NC 27361; or to Hospice and Palliative Care of Alamance-Caswell, 918 Chapel Hill Rd., Burlington, NC 27215.
   The family wishes to thank Dr. Marcus Babaoff and his staff at Kernodle Clinic, Elon; the staff at Alamance Regional Medical Center; the staff at Edgewood Place; the staff at Hospice and Palliative Care of Alamance-Caswell; and devoted caregivers Shirley Shaw and Sharon McBroom for their excellent care of Rev. Oakley and his family during his illness.
   Special thanks are extended to the members of the Keyston F. Young, Jr. Outreach Sunday School Class at Riverside Baptist Church which Rev. Oakley taught for the past 14 years, and to the members of Riverside Baptist Church who loved and supported Rev. Oakley faithfully through his 58 years of membership.
Online condolences may be made at www.richandthompson.com

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